Archives

With the first edition of Bartleby having been published in 1972, we figured it was about time that we created an archive of our past work to share with the wider UMBC Community. We have been a UMBC institution for over fifty years, and we hope to continue the trend for another fifty more. Be you staff or student of yesteryear, today or the future, we hope that you find joy and in inspiration in this archive.

This Covers Archive was made possible with the archival collections of Bartleby, the Creative Arts Journal of UMBC and UMBC’s Special Collections. If you wish to flip through some of these past editions or have a few pages scanned and emailed to you, please reach out to Special Collections at speccoll@umbc.edu.

Cover of the 1972 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a pencil sketch portrait of a person in a wide-brimmed hat with colorful collage shapes and the title "BARTLEBY" at the top left.1972

Cover of the 1973 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a minimal cream background with the word "bartleby" in lowercase black text at the top left and a blue abstract curved graphic centered below.

1973

Cover of the 1974 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a textured gray background with the word "bartleby" written vertically along the lower right edge in a stylized, lowercase font.1974
Cover of the 1980 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring calligraphic title text above an oval illustration of a person writing with a quill, set within a pink framed border on a beige background.1980

Cover of the 1981 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring stylized bold typography reading "BARTLEBY" at the top and a black-and-white botanical illustration of a plant with large leaves in the center.1981

Cover of the 1982 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a brown sketch of a resting cat with the lowercase word "bartleby" printed in white on a solid dark block in the lower right.1982
Cover of the 1983 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a stylized line-drawing portrait of a face framed inside an oval cowl or hood, with cross-hatched shading and the word "BARTLEBY" written vertically on the upper right edge.1983
Cover of the 1984 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a light blue background covered in expressive, splattered black ink markings, with the title "BARTLEBY" written in bold, textured brush lettering across the middle.1984
Cover of the 1985 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a plain white cover with the title "BARTLEBY" in bold sans-serif capital letters near the top, and "University of Maryland Baltimore County Literary/Visual Arts Magazine Spring, 1985" printed in smaller serif text at the bottom.1985
Cover of the 1986 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring the title "BARTLEBY" in bold sans-serif capital letters across a white band at the top. Below, a black-and-white image viewed through window panes or bars shows a person in a long light-colored dress and flower crown seated on cracked, dry earth with their head in their hands.1986
over of the 1987 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a black-and-white photograph of several small wooden rowboats docked close together in water, with thin ropes crisscrossing between them, and the title "BARTLEBY" in bold sans-serif capital letters printed on a white space below the image.1987
over of the 1989 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring the title "BARTLEBY" in a brushstroke-style font across the top white margin. Below, a central dark rectangular panel frames a high-contrast, monochrome image of a muscular figure stretching or reaching upward against a textured dark background.1989
Cover of the 1990 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a plain light background with the title "BARTLEBY" in serif capital letters across the top and a simple line drawing at the bottom depicting a surreal figure balancing horizontally on one hand.1990
Cover of the 1991 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a high-contrast black-and-white photograph of a figure curled into a fetal position against a dark background, with soft lighting highlighting the curve of their back and legs.1991
Cover of the 1992 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring an abstract, high-contrast monochrome design dominated by a large black silhouette on the right side and cross-hatched, mottled dark textures in the upper left over a light background.1992
Cover of the 1995 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring the title "Bartleby" in green lowercase lettering across the top white margin. Below, a framed color photograph depicts a dirt path lined with low woven fences winding through a dense grove of tall bamboo stalks.1995
Cover of the 1996 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, featuring a watercolor-style background in cool blue and gray tones. The title "bartleby" appears near the top in dark, hand-drawn lowercase lettering, above a light, stylized silhouette of a human figure standing amidst washes of color and texture. In the bottom right corner, text reads "20th edition".1996
Cover of the 2000 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, set against an off-white background. In the upper-left corner, the title is styled as "bar·tle·by" in a dark sans-serif, phonetic dictionary-style font. Off-center to the right is a dark, monochrome image of two strawberries—one whole upright berry next to a halved slice resting on its side.2000
Cover of the 2001 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against an off-white background, a horizontal thin red line crosses the top near the title, which reads "bar·tle·by" in a phonetic, hyphenated sans-serif font aligned to the upper right. The center features a high-contrast framed artwork displaying two figures against a vivid red background, and the vertical text "spring 2001 literary arts magazine" runs along the left margin.2001
Cover of the 2002 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal, set against a light gray background with a thin black horizontal line near the top right beneath the phonetic title "bar·tle·by". The center features a black-and-white photograph displaying a workspace scene with a hand resting near a sketch of a mother and child, next to intricate drafting equipment, with the text "spring 2002 creative arts journal" aligned along the bottom left edge of the image frame.2002
Cover of the 2003 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against an off-white background, the title appears in the top-left corner as "bar·tle·by" in a phonetic, hyphenated sans-serif font. The center features a large vertical photograph looking down a warmly lit, orange and wooden ribbed cylindrical tunnel structure, with the text "spring 2003 creative arts journal" placed beneath the image frame in the bottom right corner.2003
Cover of the 2004 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against an off-white background, the title appears in the top-left corner as "bar·tle·by" in a phonetic, hyphenated sans-serif font overlapping the top edge of a central artwork frame. The artwork is an abstract Expressionist painting featuring fluid, organic shapes in vibrant shades of red, orange, dark blue, green, and yellow, with the text "spring 2004 creative arts journal" aligned in small print at the bottom right of the image frame.2004
Cover of the 2005 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against an off-white background, the title appears in the top-right corner as "bar·tle·by" in a phonetic, hyphenated sans-serif font above a centrally placed vertical artwork. The artwork is a still life illustration featuring glass bottles, a flower, and a saxophone against a background of thin vertical stripes, rendered in shades of red, blue, green, and neutral tones. The text "spring 2005 creative arts journal" is printed in small lower-case type along the bottom left edge of the image frame.2005
Cover of the 2006 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against an off-white background, the title appears in the top-right corner as "bar·tle·by" in a phonetic, hyphenated sans-serif font above a multi-panel collage of photographs. The upper panel displays a photograph of paint-covered hands holding two white eggs, while the panels below present cropped and rearranged close-ups of the same imagery. The text "spring 2006 creative arts journal" is printed in small lower-case type along the bottom left edge of the artwork frame.2006
Cover of the 2007 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against an off-white background, the title appears in the top-right corner as "bar·tle·by" in a phonetic, hyphenated sans-serif font above a central artwork frame. The featured photograph shows a person viewed from behind, showing their bare shoulders and back, overlaid with three soft pink floral blooms in the lower-center foreground, framed by multicolored film border edges. The text "spring 2007 creative arts journal" is printed in small type at the bottom left below the image frame.2007
Cover of the 2008 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against an off-white background, the title appears in the top-right corner as "bar·tle·by" in a phonetic, hyphenated sans-serif font directly above a central artwork frame. The artwork features a low-angle portrait of a person with dark, wavy hair looking upward, bathed in warm orange light, set against a graphic background with decorative teal flourishes and red geometric shapes. The text "spring 2008 creative arts journal" is printed in small lowercase font along the bottom left edge below the image frame.2008
Cover of the 2009 edition of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against a dark, full-bleed background, the cover features an intricate artwork combining photographic imagery and colorful line drawings. A glowing red, boat-like structure or architectural form rests in the lower-middle section, surrounded by detailed doodles of stars, swirling patterns, and organic shapes. In the upper-right corner, white text reads "bar.tle.by" above a large, elegant "'09".2009
Cover of the 2010 edition (Volume 30) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The design features a full-bleed, layered multimedia collage in grays, bright pinks, and blues, with newspaper clippings, handwritten script, and line flourishes overlaid across a close-up image of an open-mouthed face in the lower-left foreground. The title "bar·tle·by" appears centered across the upper third in typewriter-style font, while the bottom margin contains a dark band with "bar·tle·by 2010" and "VOL 30" printed in light, stamped lettering.2010
Cover of the 2011 edition (Volume 31) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The cover features a full-bleed photograph of a vibrant, saturated blue brick wall, framed in the foreground by a dark brown, Y-shaped tree branch extending across the upper portion of the frame. In the lower-right corner, white text reads "bar·tle·by", followed below by "2011" and "vol. 31".2011
Cover of the 2012 edition (Volume 32) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The design features a full-bleed abstract painting dominated by dynamic, textured brushstrokes in shades of bright yellow, fiery red, deep brown, and hints of green. Near the top, a horizontal dark red bar bounded by thin white lines spans the width of the cover, containing the white text "bar·tle·by" alongside "2012" and "vol 32" stacked in a smaller serif font on the right.2012
Cover of the 2013 edition (Volume 33) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The cover art displays a dynamic, surreal collage against a dark background, featuring stylized blue bird or butterfly shapes, gray spoons or seed pod forms floating throughout, and vibrant yellow and red geometric structures. The title "bar·tle·by" is framed inside a thin white box in the upper-right section, and a solid black bar across the bottom contains the white text "2013 // VOL. 33".2013
Cover of the 2014 edition (Volume 34) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The image features a digitally glitched landscape artwork, showing a triangular mountain or pyramid-like structure set against a muted lavender sky, overlaid with horizontal scan lines, color distortions, and pixelated artifacts. A narrow black border runs along the left edge. Running vertically along the right side, white text reads "bar·tle·by" beneath the volume info "2014 VOL. 34".2014
Cover of the 2015 edition (Volume 35) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The top half of the cover features a full-width photograph of urban rowhouses, highlighting brick facades, windows, back additions, and fire escapes under an overcast sky. The title "bar·tle·by" is prominently overlaid across the top edge in a bold, red serif font. A solid black block fills the lower third of the cover, featuring white serif text reading "CREATIVE ARTS JOURNAL", flanked below by decorative flourishes surrounding "2015", and finished with "VOL. 35" at the bottom center.2015
Cover of the 2016 edition (Volume 36) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The cover features a full-bleed, intricate visual artwork composed of swirling, organic patterns and concentric lines reminiscent of textile embroidery or detailed linework in shades of green, red, orange, yellow, and purple. In the upper-right area, a semi-transparent red rectangular overlay contains the white title text "bar·tle·by" above smaller text reading "vol. 36 | 2016".2016
Cover of the 2017 edition (Volume 37) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The upper portion features a black-and-white photograph of a person wearing a flat cap, scarf, and jacket, standing outdoors and holding a wooden staff or post. Below the image frame, a white border displays the stylized title "bartleby" in bold, black lowercase letters, with the initial letters featuring a textured or filled pattern. To the right of the title, small text reads "Vol. 37 2017".2017
Cover of the 2018 edition (Volume 38) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set on an off-white background with wide top and bottom margins, the cover displays a central landscape photograph overlooking flat rooftops with satellite dishes and a city skyline in the distance under a hazy sky. Across the top margin, the title "BAR•TLE•BY" is printed in large, bold, black uppercase sans-serif letters with central dots separating the syllables, directly above small gray text reading "umbc creative arts journal vol. 38 / 2018". In the lower-right corner of the image frame, a small black rectangular box encloses the white text "bar·tle·by".2018
Cover of the 2019 edition (Volume 39) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The top portion consists of a white band featuring the title "BAR•TLE•BY" in a red, uppercase, slab-serif typeface with center dots separating the syllables. Directly underneath in small, dark gray sans-serif text reads "UMBC CREATIVE ARTS JOURNAL VOL. 39 / 2019". The remainder of the cover features a photograph of a young man with tattooed arms wearing a light gray t-shirt, seated outdoors on a lawn chair or metal frame structure against a dark, shadowy natural background.2019
Cover of the 2020 edition (Volume 40) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The design is set against a plain off-white background. At the top, the title "BAR•TLE•BY" is printed in large, light-green uppercase sans-serif letters separated by dots. Below and to the left, small dark text reads "umbc creative arts journal vol. 40 / 2020". Centered below the text is an illustration of a figure in a hooded sweatshirt and red sneakers, sitting hunched forward on a blue bench with hand on chin in a reflective pose.2020
Cover of the combined 2021/2022 edition (Volume 41) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. The cover features a full-bleed black-and-white photograph showing three young men gathered atop the roof ledge of a building, interacting and smiling against a light sky. In the upper-right corner, the title "BAR TLE BY" is stacked vertically in large, dark, sans-serif uppercase letters. In the lower-left corner, small white text reads "UMBC CREATIVE ARTS JOURNAL VOL. 41 / 2021 & 2022" above part of a dark sign displaying the word "shop".2021 / 2022
Cover of the 2023 edition (Volume 42 / labeled 2024 Vol. 43 in small text) of UMBC’s Bartleby creative arts journal. Set against a white background, the top features the title "BAR•TLE•BY" in a bold, dark gray, uppercase slab-serif font with dots between the syllables, directly above the subtitle "UMBC'S CREATIVE ARTS JOURNAL". Below this is a central framed rectangular painting depicting fluid, swirling, ethereal patterns in muted blue, yellow, and pastel tones. In the lower-right white margin, small gray text reads "VOL 43 / 2024".2023